The invention concerns a jack with at least one leg and with an arm articulated thereto that can be raised and lowered, that can be variously positioned by a setting mechanism, and that has a supporting plate at its outer and free end articulated to the arm at a more or less horizontal shaft.
A jack of this type is known (German Patent No. 2 801 735). It has a rotational shaft that accommodates a supporting plate at its outer and free end. The shaft that accommodates the plate, however, is rigidly secured to the arm, and lateral forces could occur while a vehicle is being lifted by the jack that would buckle the jack or its supporting components. Lateral forces of this type occur in particular when the jack is being operated on a hill and must be positioned at an angle to the vehicle. In such cases the supporting plate can be subjected to load on only one side and can be damaged, especially at the flanges that connect the plate to an associated bolt secured to the arm. If the load is very heavy on one side, the flanges around the bolt or the shaft can get bent.